The Arrest
by gneebee
Summary: He was sure his expression gave him away, he had so many mixed feelings about this and so many confused feelings about her. Beth Greene. It had been close to ten years since he'd seen her but he'd know that beautiful face anywhere. Rick Grimes & Beth Greene Romance and Fluff


**A/N Thanks so much for taking the time to check out this bit of Brick love. I hope you enjoy!**

00

His bubble lights were on but he left the siren off for now. He didn't like turning it on unless it was absolutely necessary. This wasn't New York or L.A., it was King County, Georgia.

Just as he always hoped things would go, it happened without incident. The sporty red compact pulled over to the side of the road. He put the plate number in the computer on his dash, checking for wants and warrants. None came up but the name of the registered owner did. He felt his chest tighten as he wondered, could it really be her? She'd left the area years ago for college in the big city. She must be here to visit her folks.

He knew she'd been back to town for several visits, but he'd never run into her. Maybe it was just as well, he knew she disliked everything about him.

He stepped out of the squad and he felt his nerves trying to get the best of him as he approached the driver's side window. That didn't normally happen but it was happening with her. He was sure his expression gave him away, he had so many mixed feelings about this and so many confused feelings about her. Beth Greene. It had been close to ten years since he'd seen her but he'd know that beautiful face anywhere.

"I should have known it was you Rick Grimes. I barely hit the county line and you're already harassing me. What is it you think I've done now sheriff?"

She sounded just as sassy and feisty as she always had. But there was a big difference, she was no longer a teenager, she was a woman now. She must be 28. The years had been her friend. "Beth," It was all he could do to try and mask his interest as he tipped his hat to her, then continued, "License and registration please."

"Oh absolutely Rick, by all means. Can I help you write the ticket too? Be sure it's for something that has a big fine, oh and jail time. That would be just perfect. I can spend some time relaxing in orange pajamas. Lord knows I need a rest."

"C'mon Beth. You're not still mad at me are you? Shit, that was what, eleven years ago? It was kid stuff. You're grown up now and I've mellowed out. Can we finally bury the hatchet and start fresh?"

00

He'd been young and maybe a little overzealous on the job. He'd only been a deputy for six months when it happened. Nevertheless, he knew if the same thing happened today he'd handle it just like he did back then.

He remembered it vividly. It was late, two o'clock in the morning. There was no reason for anyone to be out racing down the street with the radio blasting, going twenty miles an hour over the speed limit. Arms and legs hanging out the cars' windows, trying to catch the wind. One glance and he knew it had trouble written all over it.

He was parked on a side street looking and waiting and he'd been bored to distraction until the car flew by. He was on it immediately, lights flashing and back in those early days, his siren blaring.

He noticed the way the car was weaving and it was five blocks before it finally pulled over. He knew why as soon as he got to the driver's window, the car reeked of booze and he saw the beer cans on the floorboard.

It was an ancient vehicle, one of those big old boats. A 1960 Chevy Impala. The occupants all looked to be 16 to 18 years of age and although he didn't really know them, he knew who they were and who their parents were. There were two in the front and four of them crammed in a back seat, three young couples.

His eyes zeroed in on the small blonde all the way against the back door of the passenger's side. He knew her Daddy, she was Hershel Greene's daughter. He also recognized the boy plastered up next to her, the one who'd undoubtedly been the guy who unbuttoned her blouse. Even with the sheriff standing there the kid was having a hard time keeping his hands to himself.

"Jimmy. It's Jimmy right? Keep your hands off the young lady. Beth, right? Beth you button your blouse. Everyone, slowly and carefully get out your I.D.'s and pass them over to me."

They'd all been drinking, the car had been speeding and he did what had to be done. He called for another squad to come and assist him in hauling them all to jail. She was in the back of his squad crying and begging him, "Please sheriff, please don't tell my Daddy he'll kill me. You know how he feels about alcohol. Please, please I promise I'll never drink again."

He shouldn't have engaged with her but he did, "Didn't you think he'd catch-on when you got home?"

"I told him I was spending the night at Rosie's"

"Rosita Espinoza? Where's she?"

"I'm not telling you that! What do you think, I'm some kind of tattletale? Puhleeze."

He held back on the smile. "No, I didn't think you were at all. Just relax Beth, we'll sort it all out at the station."

They did sort it out at the station. The driver was 18 and he was charged as an adult with drunk driving. The rest of the vehicles' occupants got off pretty easy, they were all charged with Minor in Possession. It was a simple misdemeanor. They'd end up doing community service and paying a fine.

Beth paid a bigger price than any of them except maybe the driver. Her Daddy issued a much stiffer sentence than the court did. Here she was, starting what should have been the most fun year of school life, her senior year of high school. But there was to be no fun for Beth Greene. Her Daddy had her on lock down.

She didn't just do her community service, he worked her young butt off. On the farm, in his vet clinic and at their church. The only time she had off was to attend school and do her schoolwork. She didn't get to socialize, she didn't get to attend the dances and the parties, the football and the basketball games and she didn't get to go to the movies with her friends or out for burgers. None of it.

Rick thought Hershel Greene went hard on his daughter, but then he'd heard all the stories about Greene's drinking history and he understood why the man might think it was the right course of action.

The icing on the cake was as soon as she told Jimmy about all the restrictions her Daddy had put in place, her boyfriend of two years broke up with her. There was a lot of fun to be had and he planned to have it.

She was 17 years old and in her unreasonable teenage mind she knew just who to blame. She blamed Rick Grimes for everything. He'd called her Daddy and ruined her life.

Deputy Grimes had an old hound barely hanging on but he just hadn't been able to put his faithful old friend down. He was often at the vet clinic getting the dog checked on or getting him a shot to ease his arthritis.

It seemed whenever he was there Beth Greene would be there working. When her Daddy wasn't looking she'd give him the stink eye or stick her tongue out at him or both. A couple of times she even flipped him off. He wasn't mad at her, he got it. She was living in teenage hell and she thought it was his fault. But he still wished to God she wasn't so mad at him. He'd done his job and he'd like to think he saved some lives that night.

What he would never tell anyone, and tried so hard not to ever think about, was how attracted he was to her. He was 24 and a married man with a five year old son for God sake. But the marriage had been rocky from the start, and although he never would cheat on Lori, he'd never break his vows, he had all kinds of feelings about 17 year old Beth Greene.

He buried those feelings deep and he worked hard at being a good husband and a good dad.

00

She'd carried the grudge against Rick Grimes until her second year of college when Rosita called her early on a Saturday morning. Poor Rosie was eight months pregnant with her second baby. She and Jimmy had gotten together during senior year and by their high school graduation they were married. Rosie was six months pregnant.

Now here she was twenty years old with baby number two due soon and Jimmy was messing around with Andrea Harrison. Beth knew then, she'd dodged a big fat bullet when Jimmy dropped her.

That wasn't Rosie's only news. The boy who'd been driving the night they were arrested, Randall, had continued drinking and driving. At least until just the night before. He'd been drinking since he got off work that Friday night and when he was finally heading home at 9:00 he was drunk and sleepy. A deadly combination. He struck another vehicle and badly injured the driver, but he'd killed himself.

Beth knew how lucky they'd all been the night Rick Grimes stopped them and hauled them all off to jail.

All those times she'd silently cussed him, and all the times she'd stuck her tongue out at him or flipped him off, she should have been thanking him. She'd been home many times since she had that realization, but she never ran into Rick Grimes to both thank him and to apologize.

Five years ago she'd heard about his marriage ending. Maggie told her his wife had been having a long-time affair with one of the other deputies, a fellow who was supposed to be Rick's best friend. Her heart broke for the sheriff. But it also made her get honest with herself. She'd had a crush on Rick Grimes for a very long time. She almost laughed out loud thinking about it, it was a love / hate relationship.

But nothing was ever going to come of it. She was still away in school and he was still there and besides, he probably still thought of her as a bratty kid.

Now it had been 11 years and she was far from being a kid. She was 28 years old. She'd gone to four years of undergrad earning her bachelor of science degree followed by four years of veterinary school. After school she did a one year general internship and worked for a local vet while she also worked on a specialty internship. She earned her board certification in equine medicine and now she was coming home for good, she was taking over her Daddy's practice.

00

She handed him her license and registration and as he took them from her she gently clutched his hand, "I haven't been mad at you for years Rick. I'm convinced you're responsible for saving me a lot of grief."

He was sure he'd never swallowed so hard or breathed so deeply. He saw that look in her eye and he knew what it was saying to him, and he gave the look right back.

Then he did something completely unprofessional and completely out of character, "I know it's late notice but could I see you tomorrow? I can pick you up around six we could have dinner."

"I'd love that."

He handed her back the license and registration and she smiled, "What about my ticket sheriff?"

"I just pulled you over to warn you, there's a downed tree in the road up ahead. A crew's on the way but for now be careful."

"Thank you Rick."

* * *

She may be 28 years old but that didn't mean her Daddy wasn't concerned. "I like the sheriff Bethie, I always have, but don't you think he's a little old for you?"

"Are you serious Daddy? He's seven years older than I am and for gosh sake, you're 20 years older than Mama."

"Well I guess that's true. I suppose I always think he's older because of his boy, Carl. He's quite the football player. I've been to a couple of the games over at the high school. He must be getting close to 17."

"I hadn't even thought about that. I guess in my mind I still pictured him just like he was, a sweet little five year old boy."

"It's something to think about Bethie. Getting involved with a man like Rick means also getting involved with a child and an ex wife."

"Daddy I think we should slow down the worrying, it's only a first date for gosh sake. There may not even be a second one."

Beth may not have been completely open with her Daddy but she was honest with herself. She was hoping this first date would be the first of many dates she'd have with sheriff Rick Grimes. The man who had ruined her senior year of high school while undoubtedly saving her a world of hurt.

She'd waited and hoped for 11 years and now they would at least have one date.

* * *

He wasn't a serial dater that was for sure. In fact, since he and Lori had split he could count the dates he'd had on one hand. He'd had a long period of adjustment when his marriage ended.

Even though he and Lori had their issues he never thought about calling it quits and not raising their son together. And then there was Shane. They'd been best buddies since Middle School and he knew the man liked women and spreading the love around. It just never occurred to him to worry about Shane seeing Lori as fair game.

The loss of a friend combined with the loss of his wife andthe loss of the life he knew was a tough set of circumstances to deal with. He was grateful that at least when it came to Carl they'd worked out an arrangement that was acceptable to both of them and most important, acceptable to Carl. They now shared joint custody, and although it wasn't the ideal situation it beat the hell out of being a weekend Dad.

When he felt like he was fully adjusted to his new life he was open to meeting women and to dating, but he just hadn't met the right woman. There were nice ones and pretty ones and pretty ones who were nice, but there wasn't that one, the one he was interested in pursuing.

He was hoping pulling Beth over to warn her about a tree in the road would turn out to be the start of a new phase of his life. A better phase. Somewhere in his heart he'd always had that little light burning for her, he just never thought he'd get a chance to let it shine. He had the chance now and he was going to do his best not to blow it.

He washed and waxed the Cherokee, made the dinner reservation and got himself ready. He didn't want to go too formal or too casual. Mostly he wanted her to know he'd put some thought into looking nice for her.

He decided on dress jeans, a button-down shirt, his boots and a sport coat. Now if he could just keep his head clear and his words from getting jumbled maybe she'd give him a shot.

She couldn't recall ever being so nervous or so excited for a date. My gosh she wasn't a teenager, but this had been something she dreamed about since she was. Even all those years when she was away he'd sneak into her mind. She'd wonder what he was doing and if he was happy, and she'd hoped that maybe someday she'd run into him. If she did she'd apologize profusely and if he didn't ask her out she'd ask him. That's what she told herself but she knew she was too chicken. Although, come to think of it, she was pretty sure Rick Grimes was worth getting embarrassed for.

She wanted to look nice but not over the top, not all glammed up. After trying on 90% of the clothes she owned she decided on tight slacks, a silk blouse and waist length leather jacket. She debated on the shoes and finally settled on ankle boots.

Her hair was a struggle, it had been her whole life. But she got the curls as tamed as she could and hoped he liked the look. Her hair had a mind of its own.

He arrived right on the dot and even though she'd never taken the phrase seriously, she could swear her heart skipped a beat. He looked so handsome and his smile was warm and sexy and she felt like she could just stare at that face all night long.

Her Dad opened the door and shook his hand, "Rick, nice to see you son. Where are you planning to take Bethie?"

She was standing behind her father with that big beautiful smile and what he could swear was a twinkle in her eye. She nudged her Daddy lovingly and reminded him, "Daddy, I'm not 16. Please don't wait up."

Her Dad smiled at them both and said, "It's hard on a Daddy sometimes. You two have a nice evening."

He kept his hand on her low back as they walked to his rig and he opened the door, "take my hand, it's quite a step up." She didn't really think it was but that didn't stop her, she happily laid her hand in his.

He got in on his side and reached over taking her hand again. He gave it a gentle squeeze and smiled that killer smile as he asked, "I made a reservation at a new Mediterranean place in Smithton. Is that alright?"

"That sounds perfect, who'd have thought Smithton would go International."

They were both happy with the ease they had slipping into conversation. On the ten mile drive he asked her a lot of questions about her schooling and her experiences living the city life.

"You know Rick I really enjoyed so many aspects of living in the city. It was fun, diverse and there was always something to do for entertainment. Not that I had much time. Vet school was really challenging. But I have to say, after all those years of living there I'm done. I've always been a small town girl and I'm so happy to be moving back here." And he was so happy to hear those words.

The host showed them to a four top table in the middle of the room and she felt a twinge of disappointment, it seemed so impersonal. Then she felt herself smile when Rick told the man, "You know I think we'd prefer that booth over in the corner please." He was a take charge guy in the most pleasant of ways.

She was equally thrilled when he slid into the booth next to her and rested his hand on hers. "Would you like a cocktail or a glass of wine?"

"What are you having?"

"I'm the sheriff and I'm driving so I'm going to have just one glass of red wine."

"That sounds perfect, just order me whatever you're having please."

She didn't think she'd blushed in years but he brought it out in her when he raised his glass and said, "Here's to the most beautiful woman I know. Thank you for this evening Beth."

She made his smile grow when she said, "No, thank you Rick."

During dinner she asked him about his rise from small town deputy to county sheriff and she was impressed when he proudly told his story. There was something very appealing about a man being proud of his work and accomplishments without having an ounce of conceit.

Everything was so lovely and he was so attentive, it was just right. Just as she'd always hoped it could be.

"I don't want to step out of line here Beth but it's early yet. Would you like to come back to my place? We could put on some music and catch up a little more."

She wasn't worried about being alone with him at his place, in fact she looked forward to it very much. "I'd like that. I'm enjoying this evening so much."

"So am I and I don't want it to end anytime soon."

His home was charming. She would have liked to snoop around, check it out thoroughly but that definitely wouldn't be right. She did get to see the nice kitchen and she asked him, "Do you cook?"

He laughed a little, "I'm no gourmet but I can whip up a few decent meals. How about you, do you enjoy cooking?"

"Growing up on the farm it was part of the days' activities. At that time it seemed like a chore but in the last couple of years I've found I really enjoy it."

The living room was homey with comfortable furnishings and a built in book case full of reading materials. He turned on the stereo and they sat on the sofa. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and he smiled, "Thank you for tonight Beth. It's been better than I could have hoped."

She smiled back and she took him by surprise when she responded, "Believe it or not sheriff, this is a date I've dreamed of many times, starting way back in the day, even before I flipped you off in Daddy's clinic."

He laughed softly and they looked in each other's eyes and smiled and then they got honest. They revealed to each other the secret they'd each carried, the desire they'd each had for this, to be together.

His hand caressed her cheek as he leaned in and their lips met. It wasn't tentative, it wasn't like a first kiss at all. It was a kiss two people who had longed to be together for years would share. It was deep and it was intense and it held the promise of many more kisses to come.

00

 **A/N Thank you so much for reading along. Please leave a comment / review. The chapter photo of the beautiful couple is posted on my tumblr blogs gneebee and bethylmethbrick, please check it out. I'll be back soon with more Brick love. Until then remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee**


End file.
